Email marketing campaigns are valuable in and of themselves, but to really maximize the power of email campaigns, you need a top-notch landing page. Simply put, a landing page lets you keep your email copy clean and to the point, while moving your customers along the sales funnel to a page that showcases your products and services, and includes a strong call to action.

Unlike your homepage, which is designed with a broad scope that speaks to your brand and values and is loaded with links to encourage exploration, the landing page has a singular purpose. It’s focused on a single campaign objective and one clear call to action. Because the landing page has a singular focus, every element should be evaluated to provide maximum support to the campaign objective. Done correctly, an email ad and corresponding landing page are one of the most powerful one-on-one marketing tools.

Understanding Landing Page Objectives

Ultimately, landing pages are used to capture contact information for new leads, and to warm up potential customers for the next phase of the sales funnel. Lead generation pages include a sign-up form, while warm-up pages (called click-through landing pages) act as a conduit between an email ad and the next step in the sales funnel, typically a shopping cart.

A lead generation landing page typically offers something of value in exchange for contact information. These can include:

EBooks offering comprehensive information about some aspect of your business vertical.

Periodic informational newsletters and tips.

White papers showcasing important facts and statistics about your business.

Podcasts and webinar registration for live online sessions.

An e-course or presentation with video or slides.

A free trial of your product or service.

This lead generation form is a great example of a landing page with a compelling sales proposition, reinforcing details, and a strong call to action.

A click-through landing page is designed to entice customers to:

Purchase a specific product or service.

Subscribe to your online service.

Learn more about your products and services before pushing them to a lead generation page.

This click-through landing page is successful because the landing page is the entire website, and the navigation links connect to information at the bottom of the page. When visitors click the contact button, the page moves over to make room for the form–visitors never leave the page.

Landing Page Components

Your landing page should prominently convey your unique value proposition, explaining what your company is about and what you are offering your customers with your email ad. Your value proposition should include an attention-getting headline, brief supporting statements, and a concise closing argument to help seal the deal. Remember, most people scan landing pages, as opposed to reading them, so your value proposition and closing argument should be tight and concise. Try this online tool, The Five Second Test, to help you fine-tune your copy so its message is clear and immediately identifiable.

The Hero Shot

The hero shot is a picture or graphic representation of the product or service you are offering in your email campaign. An important element of the hero shot is context of use, which attempts to show the product in action. In the case of online service, the hero shot could be a screen shot from a product demo. For an e-book, context of use could be a preview or sample page. Videos also make great hero shots. According to GetElastic’s e-commerce blog, consumers who watch a video are 174% more likely to purchase a product or service.

This landing page is a great example of a video-rich hero shot that has great call to action placement.

Benefits and Features

For maximum impact, start with benefits-based bullet points that solve a problem or address a need for your customers. As an example, for a travel newsletter focused on cruises, “Never miss out on reduced fares to your favorite destination” is better than “Weekly updates on fares and special discounts.” Your benefits section should answer the question, “What do my customers really need and want?” with simple one-sentence solutions. Bulleted lists improve readability and ease of scanning, attracting the eye to the most important parts of your landing page.

Testimonials, Reviews, and Social Proof

Social persuasion is a powerful tool in marketing. People love review sites; a recent survey showed that 90 percent of customers were influenced by product and service reviews. Your landing page is a great place to leverage social persuasion, either with direct quotes from satisfied customers, or statistics that show how many people use your product. This landing page for Evernote does a good job of including both types of social proof to influence buying decisions.

The Call to Action/Conversion Goal

The call to action (CTA) is a critical piece in the conversion process, and you should spend enough time on your CTA copy, design and placement to make sure your potential customers know exactly how to interact with your landing page. CTAs are usually buttons that provide a visual cue to customers; they answer the question, “Where do I click?” Button copy should nudge your customer at the last critical moment by answering the question, “Why should I click here?” This article has an extensive selection of great CTA examples.

A Note About Lead Generation Forms

It’s important to balance the amount of information collected with the value of the product or service you are giving away. For example, if you are offering a free newsletter, it’s fair to ask for a name and email address. Asking for an address or phone number, however, would lower your conversion rates. It’s also a good idea to include a link to your privacy policy.

Before launching an email marketing campaign to a landing page, make sure you test for working pages and functioning links. Strive for message match and unity in your email campaign and your website and/or landing pages; font, photos, keywords and theme should be cohesive throughout. It’s also a good idea to incorporate analytics tracking on your landing pages.

Landing pages are an integral part of your email marketing; a well-designed page is key to a successful campaign.